MARYLAND BRIEFING

Network News

A driver accused of striking a group of construction workers in Burtonsville, fatally injuring two of them and then running from the scene, surrendered to authorities early yesterday, Montgomery County police said.

Manuel De Jesus Gonzalez-Geronimo, 31, was taken into custody shortly after midnight and charged with fleeing the scene of a fatal crash and other offenses, police said. Because Gonzalez-Geronimo is in the country illegally, a judge ordered him held without bond.

Police said Gonzalez-Geronimo was driving north on Route 29 Monday about 1 p.m. His white Ford Econoline van struck a truck, then pinned five construction workers who were sitting on a guardrail north of Route 198, near the Howard County line.

Martin Ruffin, 30, of Baltimore was pronounced dead at the scene. James Cronin, 37, of Glen Burnie died yesterday. Two other men are at area hospitals in critical condition.

After turning himself in, Gonzalez-Geronimo told police that he had run because "he was scared and didn't have a license," according to a charging document.

-- Ernesto Londoño

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

Hanover Resident Dies in Collision With Truck

A 22-year-old man was killed Monday when the car he was driving crossed a double-yellow line on Ridge Road in the Hanover area and collided with a truck, Anne Arundel County police said.

Jose Luis Soto-Herera of Hanover crossed into traffic "for an unknown reason" shortly after 7 a.m., police said. He suffered massive head and internal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The other driver, Jose Velzaquez Maldonado, 29, of Elkridge, was not injured, police said.

-- Raymond McCaffrey

CONGRESSIONAL RACE

Democrat to Run Again for 6th District Seat

Democrat Andrew Duck formally filed yesterday as a candidate for the 6th District seat held by Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R).

The race will be Duck's second consecutive attempt to unseat Bartlett, who has served eight terms. He lost a three-way race in November in which Bartlett won 59 percent of the vote, Duck received 38 percent and Green Party candidate Robert Kozak got 3 percent.

"Change is overdue in Western and northern Maryland, and I will bring change in Congress," said Duck, a civilian adviser to the Pentagon on Army intelligence issues. He served 20 years in the Army, including a tour of Iraq in 2003.

Duck supports greater international cooperation in bringing security to Iraq. He has accused Bartlett of blindly following the Bush administration and the Republican leadership on war, health-care and energy policies.